Kollam, Thursday 31 December 2009: A major tragedy at Karunagapally created panic and tension when a LPG tanker lorry exploded in the wee hours of Thursday. The incident happened at Puthentheruvu near Karunagapally at Kollam.

As many as 21 persons suffered burn injuries. Three are in a serious condition. Among the injured, 6 were rushed to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital and 3 to the KIMS Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram.

The tanker lorry, carrying cooking gas, and on its way to Paripally from Mangalore, hit a car at around 3 in the morning and overturned. After some time it exploded. Three persons who were travelling in the car were seriously injured and rushed to the Vanntanam Medical College Hospital.

They are reported to be stable. Houses and shops near the tragedy site caught fire. As many as 10 houses were completely razed down by the blaze. The fire is still raging and may take some time for the complete fuel to be burnt. Hospitals were packed with writhing burn victims. Some had sheets of skin peeling off their backs.

Fire force personnel were battling most of the blaze and said that the fire will be extinguished completely only after the fuel in the lorry has been burnt. Around 20 fire engines are working at the scene and trying to bring the situation under control. Police and fireforce personnels evacuated the residents to a safer zone. Traffic has been disrupted at the National Highway.

(News Agency)